Side chain liquid crystalline composites, occurrence of interdigitated bilayer smectic C phases

Abstract

We report on the results of X-ray investigations in two series of polymer monomer composites, PM6Rm-33 and PMnR12-33, which consist of mixtures of achiral liquid crystalline side chain polymers and their monomers. These mixtures present a unique integration of monomer in the polymeric base which assists in modifying their properties and forming homogenous composites. X-ray measurements for all the investigated composites indicate the existence of bilayered smectic C phases (SmC₂). In several composites, the interlayer distance of the SmC₂ phase abnormally increases with cooling; this is associated with the aliphatic interdigitation at the tail-to-tail interface being more prominent when longer aliphatic tails are present.

Keywords:

• bilayered smectic C phase
• X-ray studies
• side chain liquid crystalline polymer

Acknowledgements

E.A. Soto-Bustamante thanks Project FONDECYT 2003 Nr. 1071059 for financial support. C.M. González-Henríquez acknowledges a scholarship from Conicyt.